'Rear Naked Choke → Thrilling Comeback Victory' Jean Silva Roars, "The New Champion Is Me"

*This content was translated by AI.

Jean Silva (29, Brazil) secured a thrilling submission comeback victory over Jose Miguel Delgado (28, USA/Mexico), positioning himself to challenge for the UFC Featherweight title.

Ranked sixth in the Featherweight division, Silva defeated Delgado via rear naked choke submission at 2 minutes and 57 seconds of the third round during the main event of "Noche UFC: Silva vs. Delgado" held on the 13th (Korean time) at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona, USA.

With this win, Silva extended his winning streak to two consecutive victories following his January match against Arnold Allen, bringing his professional record to 18 wins and 3 losses, with a UFC record of 7 wins and 1 loss.

This was a dramatic comeback after overcoming early adversity. In the first round, Silva engaged in probing exchanges from long range but struggled against Delgado's active stance transitions and calf kicks due to his longer reach. Midway through the round, Silva went down after absorbing a long right hand followed by a left uppercut from Delgado, but he immediately initiated wrestling exchanges to survive the danger.

Starting from the second round, Silva unleashed relentless pressure. He forced close-quarters striking exchanges, seized control of the fight, successfully executed a takedown during the striking phase, and turned the tide with powerful ground-and-pound strikes.

The outcome was decided in the third round. Silva cornered his opponent against the cage and landed a clean right straight that sent Delgado to the canvas. Although Delgado attempted to escape with a single-leg takedown, Silva gained back control after a scramble exchange and secured a back position. He then firmly locked in a rear naked choke using only one arm, forcing a perfect tapout.

According to UFC post-fight comments, Silva stated, "This fight was for the fans," adding, "I delivered the best performance I deserved."

Looking ahead to next month's "UFC 333" on the 25th, Silva targeted Alexander Volkanovski (who will defend his title against the number-one ranked Movsar Evloev), declaring, "This message is not for the entire Featherweight division but for the next champion. Whoever takes the belt, the new champion is right here." After this fight, Silva plans to take a brief rest before visiting Korea later this week.

In the co-main event, former Flyweight (56.7kg) champion Brandon Moreno (32, Mexico) proved his readiness by defeating TUF 33 Flyweight tournament winner Joseph Morales (32, USA/Mexico). After a closely contested battle, Moreno secured a split decision victory (28-29, 30-27, 30-27), improving his professional record to 24 wins, 2 draws, and 10 losses.

Moreno roared, "The decision was slightly questionable, but what matters is that I won. I will continue proving that I am still the world's top Flyweight fighter. Viva Mexico."

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*This content was translated by AI.